The decree was published in the official bulletin and recognizes sex changes as a "right", as was defined in a 2007 decision which the government denied a reversal, in spite of protests by conservative and religious groups.

Spain's 20 Minutos reports that the Brazilian Health Ministry projects that without the economic barrier, the procedure might be requested by one out of every 10,000 Brazilians.

Via / 20 Minutos

To watch the video for Funky Bahia off the album click here.

It's a low key album that doesn't scream "listen to me" but rather serves as the perfect soundtrack for lazy summer days and nights. Some of the songs like, Miopia and Toque de Coito featuring Siba, sound sad, as if full of longing, even with it's electric guitar and synthesizer sounds.

One of the most fun tracks on the album is Mambobit, which is "poppy" and nostalgic and I dare you to try and not move with Quilombo Te Espera.

Start your summer 2008 playlist with Sonantes.

Dubbed "the giant" because of her impressive body mass, it is believed that her particular body type and rapid change in appearance (that's her before, check out her 'after' picture after the jump...if you dare) can be attributed to the use of testosterone. Just days ago, Gusmao said that she would go to Beijing and bring a medal back for Brazil, saying "No athlete is psychologically stronger than I am, and no athlete wants to win as much as me."

A former Lonely Planet travel writer who provoked controversy after he admitted he did not always visit the places he reviewed today played down the "hyperbole" surrounding his revelations.

Thomas Kohnstamm's book Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? contains tales of living with a prostitute, dealing drugs and in one case, writing about Colombia, without actually visiting the country.

"They didn't pay me enough to go to Colombia," he told Australia's Sunday Herald Sun newspaper.

"I wrote the book in San Francisco. I got the information from a chick I was dating who was in an intern in the Colombian consulate."

Kohnstamm told the paper he had worked on more than a dozen books for Lonely Planet, including their titles on Brazil, Colombia, the Caribbean, South America, Venezuela and Chile.

Via / Guardian

Police began moving in on the sawmills in the town of Tailandia on Monday.

The town, which is home to dozens of sawmills, is in the south of Para state, one of the worst-hit areas by Amazon deforestation at the hands of loggers.

Via / BBC

In the last five months of 2007, 3,235 sq km (1,250 sq miles) were lost.
Officials say rising commodity prices are encouraging farmers to clear more land to plant crops such as soya.

Via / BBC

Yellow Fever might sound like a disease from 100 years ago, but it is alive and well and causing panic and death in Brazil. At least seven people have died from Yellow Fever this year, and the government is investigating additional cases. Meanwhile, Brazilians in the most affected areas are lining up get vaccinated. The most recent victims say they weren't vaccinated against the acute viral disease.

The video above, though only available in Portuguese, will give you an idea of the mood in Brazil will this current outbreak, including which geographical areas are most at risk. A recurring theme in the video is "there's no reason to panic", but I'm sure people in those regions aren't very consoled by that message.

Via / YouTube

The above photo from Spain's El País shows Lula playing photographer, taking a picture of his friend Fidel.

Via / El País

The theft of the paintings was a major embarrassment for the museum. First because they were stolen in the first place and second because the paintings weren't insured and there was no alarm system in the museum.

The two paintings are said to be worth at least $55 million.

No Scotland Yard officers will face disciplinary action over the fatal shooting of innocent Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, the police watchdog announced.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said four senior officers, including Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, should not be disciplined over the killing.

Earlier this month the head of anti-terrorism at Scotland Yard stepped down due to death threats associated with the case.

Via / The Press Association

`It's really special for me, it was a dream for me just to play for Sao Paulo and one game for the national team,'' Kaka, a devout Christian, said after receiving the award. ``But the Bible says that God can give you more than you even ask for, and that has happened in my life.''

Via / Bloomberg.com

Yesterday Chilean president Michelle Bachelet was in Bolivia along with Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pledging to build a highway linking the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean by 2009. Relations between Bolivia and Chile have been historically strained.

Via / International Herald Tribune y Reuters